DISCLAIMER - This series is a work of fiction and is based on the novel
titled “Sacred Games” authored by Vikram Chandra in 2006.
Promote, encourage and support any action or relationship
displayed between the characters of this series.
Resemblance of any character of this series to any persons, places,
real events, linguistic groups, political parties, communities,
religions or sects is purely coincidental and unintentional.
[WHISTLES] [CROWD CHEERS]
- Shot! - [CROWD CLAPS]
- pitch me the same way, perfect. - [CROWD CHEERING]
PLAYER: One more!
SAAD: Catch it! Catch it, catch it!
- Yes! We got him! - [CROWD CHEERING]
- It’s above the waist, no ball. - KHUSHAL: Tell‘em it’s a ‘No-ball’.
No-ball!
How is it a no-ball?
It was above the waist...
Don’t cheat.
- Umpire said it’s above the waist. - It was below the waist...
- Cheating? - You know the rules? Stay in your limits.
Take him away or I'll bury him right here.
You got quite a mouth, Aurangzeb (MOGHUL INVADER)
Get out of here.
Muslim Faggot.
- Motherfucker. - Hey...
Do you wanna fight you, bastard?
Are you crazy, Saad? Get out of here.
Hey Balu... Vijya..!
What happened? Aye, bring the car out.
Let’s go! Get out of here.
BALU: Kushal, he’s bleeding a lot.
This has become a country of foreigners
and there is no room for Hindus in Hindustan.
Sir, historically,
first the Moghuls came - when we were fighting amongst ourselves.
Then the Britishers came, we got divided into class and caste.
We got another opportunity during the Partition,
but we chose non-violent protests!
Look at ‘them’, they’ve been at it for 2000 years
and we are stuck electing governments
to give us better petrol prices.
- [IN MARATHI] Fools of the highest ord... - SARTAJ: 1400 years.
Huh?
Islam has existed for 1400 years, not 2000.
[IN MARATHI] What are you here for?
[HINDI] Do you know someone by the name of Saad?
The one who comes to play cricket?
Did something happen last week?
He’s a crappy pitcher.
I hit‘em all out of the park.
You know what he did?
He bust open Ramesh’s head.
- Blood was flowing out like Niagara Falls. - Then?
- Then we took Ramesh to the hospital. - And Saad?
- He must have run away. - Have anyone’s number from his team?
Thanks Kushal.
Sir, why are you messing around with them?
Keep an eye on him.
KUSHAL: Motherfucker, what have you done?
Speak.
Speak!
[KUSHAL IN MARATHI] Say it, motherfucker.
Say it, motherfucker. Say it.
Say it. Say it.
Motherfucker.
[THEME MUSIC IS PLAYING]
- Let’s deal. - ISA: I know you want a deal, cunt.
Did your boss not teach you
to respect Sir Isa?
You want a deal? Show me your loyalty.
[CLICKS FINGERS]
Bring forth your hand...
Prove your loyalty. Do it or get out of here.
Remember the taste.
ISA: This is exactly what Shahid also doesn’t understand.
It’s okay to have enemies,
but one must learn to respect the enemy.
GAITONDE: Let me get rid of Shahid. That’ll end all problems.
Nope.
I know he’s an idiot,
but idiots can come in handy as well.
Fifty million rupees.
Millions won’t do.
I want to go to Jerusalem,
see the Qubbat As-Sakhrah.
And obviously I can't do that on a Pakistani passport.
So, go to your owner, wag your tail
and get me an Indian diplomatic passport.
It’ll be done.
I’ll take off.
[IN ENGLISH] Yes, you may leave.
BUNTY: “I’m the downtown don”
was a big mistake on my part...
Just need all your blessings now...
[AUDIENCE CLAPPING]
GAITONDE: Bunty, that motherfucker had become a poet...
And Zoya, an actress.
And I had become Ms Yadav’s pet dog, who had to lick asses
Isa’s or any other Sheikhs that was served to me.
[INDISTINCT VOICES]
[FOG HORNS BLARING] [SEAGULLS CHIRPING]
South.
Public.
In whose ass should I shove up this info?
This guy always gives useless information.
Where to?
Bombay.
It’s my birthday tomorrow.
I have a shoot.
I’ll call up Bunty.
He’ll get the director to call in sick.
Listen, there’s a party.
Aditya Johar will also be therel.
Your Hero will be there as well.
Yes, he’s helping me out.
Screwing is ‘helping’ now, is it?
COMPARER: Ladies and gentleman I present to you the voice of the evening[
[SINGING A MELODY]
♪ What you've lost won't be found ♪
♪ The wish for flight is now caged-bound ♪
♪ The lips laugh at the crying heart ♪
♪ The wanderer now won't come around ♪
♪ Won't come... ♪
[GUESTS CHEERING]
♪ Won't come around ♪
GAITONDE: This was my most expensive birthday party and also the shittiest.
Even amongst a crowd I felt lonely.
♪ The body, tattooed by your scars ♪
♪ Like the night sky blooming with stars ♪
♪ Walked through the flames... ♪
GAITONDE: I would keep thinking why did I meet Isa?
Miss Yadav had me pressed against the wall in my own house.
♪ The wanderer now won't come around ♪
♪ Won't come around ♪
♪ Won't come around... ♪
[PHONE RINGS]
GURUJI: Aham Brahmasmi, Ganesh.
GANESH: Aham Brahmasmi, Guruji.
You have my blessings on your birthday, Ganesh
GURUJI: I know you're in a dilemma.
This story will help you understand.
During the war of the worlds between the Gods and Demons,
there was a time when
the demons were dominant.
GURUJI: So, the Gods sent an innocent looking boy,
Kacha, into the Demons’ settlement as a spy.
Shukracharya - the Demons’ Guru
knew the secret of Mrit Sanjeevni.
Mrit Sanjeevni was an elixir that granted immortality
it could bring a dead person back to life.
And as time went on,
Devyani... Shukracharya’s daughter fell in love with Kacha.
The Demons’ got apprehensive.
They did not want the secret of their most powerful weapon to reach the Gods.
Hence, the Demons killed Kacha.
Seeing Devyani in despair,
Shukracharya used Mrit Sanjeevni to...
bring Kacha back to life.
Devyani was elated,
And Kacha received assurance that he could always escape death.
Then?
The rest of the story will follow later.
You still have many births to go through, Ganesh.
For now, just understand
that to conquer death one needs to die several times.
How?
How can I go to my next birth?
It is not so easy, Ganesh.
Not strength... sacrifice is required.
- I’ll do it. - Sacrifice?
What’s the first step?
[CHAN DONG IN ENGLISH] The tube you found is definitely an initiator
to generate neutrons for the fission reaction.
North Korea has been working on an assembled fishing device for some time.
And I think
they're now selling the design in the black market.
[IN ENGLISH] But this design doesn't look like it needs too many of these tubes.
Not exactly, even 2 or 3 would do the job of initiating the bomb.
The other tubes just work as boosters.
How many tubes do you estimate they have?
PONNUTHAI: These ordinary looking tubes that you see here
could be the biggest weapon to enter India.
Our lab reports indicate that they contain lithium deuteride.
This could be boosters for a fission bomb.
[PONNUTHAI IN HINDI] Maalam informed us there are 10 such tubes.
And we have retrieved five of them.
We believe that they will want all of them for maximum impact
We have also unlocked Aalam's laptop
and we found a dark net chat room
that the Hizbuddin was using to communicate.
Rama is working on deciphering these chats even as we speak.
Fateh... Victory.
What’s this, Sir?
16,7,17.
16th July?
Today's the 8th.
[IN ENGLISH] From what we have decoded, 16th of July could be D-Day.
We need to scan every corner of the city.
Follow the nuclear fuel
[IN HINDI] Coordinate with all check-points.
Yes, Sir.
MARIO JOSEPH: Any phone numbers obtained from Anjali’s diary been activated?
Not yet, Sir. But we've got Shahid Khan and his main man Haroon’s voice samples.
- What did we get from the chats, Rama? - We're analyzing it, Sir.
Analyzing is not enough, participate in it.
Gain their trust. This is the best chance we all have.
Get us a meeting with Shahid Khan.
[DOOR SQUEEKS OPEN]
POLICE OFFICER: Hey! Get up!
[PHONE RINING]
Have a seat, Sir.
He told me over the phone.
Sir, the truck belonged to Gujarat or Maharashtra?
Gujarat, it had come from Kutch.
Sir, thousands of trucks come.
And you check all of them, is'nt it?
RAMA: Four chatroom histories have opened up so far.
What are they speaking about in this chat?
We found some information on Saad.
His friends told us he brawled during the cricket match.
But no one knows where he went afterwards.
SARTAJ: But we’ll find out soon.
Trust us.
Now tell us what this is.
This is not like Whatsapp chat.
Each person has limited access to information
whatever is designated to them.
What’s this ‘Girl 6’ speaking about?
Who is this?
Is this Shahid Khan?
Yeah.
AAVEZ: Some stuff is missing.
The person with the laptop is saying
the stuff won’t be given without the money.
Shahid Khan’s replied that the money has been stolen
and is asking for cooperation.
Search more. What’s been written about the money?
You can’t see old messages by scrolling up.
Will we find something by typing in the search box?
Yes.
[CLICKING FROM TYPING]
[PHONE RINGS]
Yes, Sartaj.
Markand Sir, how much money was found from Jojo’s home?
Why?
Please tell me, Sir.
Rupees 900.8 million.
Please tell me the exact number, Sir.
MARKAND: Rs. 908,676, 000.
Rs. 908,676,000.
- But what are you doing? - I’ll tell you soon, Sir.
[IN ENGLISH] It’s working.
[RAMA IN HINDI] What’s written here?
He’s praising a delivery that was made on the 10th of June.
Rama, write “We are ready to give the material for 25,000,000.”
Let’s negotiate with Shahid Khan.
But wouldn’t they get suspicious if we suddenly change what we’re saying.
No, he is afraid. He’ll definitely meet.
Oh!
Rama, we’re running out of time.
- [PHONE BEEPS] - Sir, Can I get you anything Tea, Coffee?
Take out the list for 10th June.
Huh?
Take out the list for 10th June.
Is there a problem, Sir?
Bring the CCTV footage.
Sir, the thing is...
I’ll tell you...
- Take him along. - Sir, I’ll explain...
- One second, let me talk to him... - Get up.
[CROWS CAW]
RAMA: Sir.
Sir, will you have some? It's local sweet.
No, thank you. Got something yet?
No, Sir. No response yet.
You joined after 26/11?
Yeah,
Joseph Sir had brought me in.
At the time, it would poison me on the inside.
I would feel angry and wanted to do something.
And now?
Now I’m used to it.
There’s a lot of stress,
but it’s fun.
And you?
I don’t know.
These days, I'm unable to understand what am I suppose to feel
- Got any response? - No response, Sir.
Next time please consult somebody before you send out these random messages.
Where were you?
Should’ve prayed to Allah to give your men some sense as well.
Please vent somewhere else. All of us are just as stressed.
- What's your stress? - What's your problem?
- Your work. - We are working.
Should I call Parulkar?
Sir please! Move back!
Majid is doing his work, Sir.
RAMA: Sir..Sir...
response is here.
RAMA: Password protected...
Can we get it out of Maalam?
He doesn’t know anything about computers. Aalam used to handle it all.
Rama, what do you think?
It’s risky to try a hack right now.
RAMA: If we make a mistake, it will alert them and we would loose our only chance.
[DOOR CLICKS OPEN]
You’re home early today.
[KEYS CLANKING ON THE TABLE]
Half the people just use me, and the other half doubt me.
They’ll take me off this case.
They’ll be foolish to do that.
[TRAIN WHISTLES]
Saw any houses today? Like anything?
Mum & Dad also must be having a hard time in this small apartment.
If we end up liking an apartment,
its housing society doesn’t end up liking our name.
Today, even Mahesh gave up, saying he’s shown us all the flats.
Told me to select a flat in a society which allows Muslims.
Otherwise the one in Dahanu...
Yeah,
Have the Muslims stay in a place where even electricity has'nt reached.
I made a mistake by asking Dad to move to Mumbai.
[LONG SIGHS]
He’s quite an influential politician.
Congratulations, Sir.
- Thanks. - Arshia.
Hi, how are you?
Sir...
Three weeks ago some goods had reached Mandvi.
Someone high up made a call and let it bypass
the transportation-taxation department.
Who do you think that could be?
You just got here?
- Sir. - There’s a sweets counter.
- Quite good. - Try it.
Go!
MEGHA: Hello, Sir.
PARULKAR: Hey Megha. How are you?
- Congratulations. - Long time. You’re looking gorgeous.
- Thank you. - Come join us.
- MEGHA: That’s Umesh. - PARULKAR: Hi Umesh.
One more please.
PARULKAR: Thank you for coming.
Yeah!
- WOMAN: Megha. - MEGHA: Hi.
I just heard the news. Congratulations.
Thank you.
WOMAN: I’ll just be back in a bit. Wait for me.
MEGHA: Yes...
When’s the wedding?
Next month.
Why all of a sudden?
Sartaj let’s talk later.
You’ve known him for six months.
- Please, let’s talk later. - Is someone pressurizing you?
There’s no pressure Sartaj.
I'm happy.
Please don’t ruin it.
How does he manage to keep you happy?
I couldn’t learn in years.
And in six months, he...
Will he teach me?
Should I ask him?
SARTAJ: How to... keep Megha happy...
I’m pregnant.
Hello Sartaj.
How are you?
[DOOR SLAMS SHUT]
SARTAJ: She had a problem with me drinking.
I was always proper,
but she would continue to fuss over some petty arguments we had in the past.
She never treated me as an equal in our marriage.
She was the doctor, and I was the patient.
I was blamed as the reason for all our problems.
She was the best thing that happened to me, but I...
I was just a husband for her.
Sartaj, she has a right to take her decisions.
When did I oppose that?
Yes, but you’re feeling betrayed.
You hardly know anything about me.
I leave the lights on, when I leave in the morning
Just so that I can feel like there’s someone else when I return.
Someone staying with me in the house
This isn’t about loneliness...
but about self-worth, Sartaj.
So it’s all my fault?
Self-worth isn’t one’s fault,
[IN ENGLISH] but the entire universe comes together to make you feel that way.
And how do you know that?
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
Do you want to go deeper?
[BIRDS CHIPING]
GAITONDE: Don’t take it, Sartaj.
I am telling you, don’t take it.
This Gochi is freaky.
Once its caught you, you’ll never be able to shake it off.
I’m pregnant.
SARTAJ: When did you find out?
What’s the point of this?
And we had mutually decided that we won’t have a child.
Didn’t we?
- Didn’t we Sartaj? - Yes, we did.
- Because you didn’t want to. - Yes, I didn’t want to.
My choice has no importance?
That’s why I got the abortion done.
It was you who kept harping about the lack of space on this planet...
Yeah, but we also ended up fine... In this city.
And are we fine?
MEGHA: Are we fine, Sartaj?
I feel alone.
I have become tired of myself.
When my boys ask for instructions,
I’m slowly dying on the inside.
[DEEPLY SIGHS]
I know what to do.
But why
I’m lost.
Ganesh, it’s the curse of being God...
[WHIMPERS]
I am no God.
[SOBS]
I'm just running away.
[SNIFFLES]
From?
- I don't know from whom? - [SOBS]
[CELL DOOR CLANKS OPEN]
- [SOBS] - Father, What are you doing Father?
[IN MARATHI] I was weak, that’s why you became this...
[IN MARATHI] It's not your fault. It’s all my fault forgive me.
- Ganesh... forgive me. - [BAWLING]
- [DOOR CLANKS SHUT] - Ganesh! Ganesh!
Ganesh... forgive me.
Ganesh! Ganesh... forgive me.
[HYSTERICALLY CRYING]
[BATYA IN ENGLISH] I was born a conflict, Sartaj.
My mother was Palestinian,
and my father was a Jewish.
We started Living in Paris.
Life was a midsummer night's dream...
Hectic, crazy, fun...
The first Intifada happened
and more than a 1000 Palestinians were killed.
And my mom started feeling like a coward.
Living away from Palestine while her friends were facing the bullets.
She left me this letter and went back to her revolution.
I was 14.
She was 38.
She died the next year.
[BATYA SMIRKS]
- [IN HEBREW] - IT MEANS: Follow your instinct.
For a 14 year old
with no mother and a traveling father that meant...
...sex...
...drugs...
and bad relationships with equally destructive men.
And I took it all because I had no self-worth.
You don't know, Sartaj, how empty you really are
until someone knocks you down. [SNIFFLES]
[BATYA SIGHS]
GAITONDE: My father used to say...
[IN MARATHI] God is in every particle, God is everywhere.
GAITONDE: Just came in my mind.
Nothing ‘just’ comes in the mind.
I used to think...
there’s no one weaker than my dad.
He had nothing.
He was happy accepting his life as God’s pube...
But I turned out to be even weaker than him.
I’m not going to remain weak.
What do I have to do?
Ganesh you possess a dynamic quality
Great energy...
However, energy leads to self-doubt as well...
you’ll have to sacrifice self-doubt.
Do you remember the story of Katch.
Ganesh, to conquer death one needs to die several times.
GAITONDE: Guruji said I would be born again
If I chose the right path at the right time.
Okay.
I’ve organized a Dastangoi [PERSIAN MUSICAL STORYTELLING] event in Dubai.
Shahid might come.
[ENGINE SHUTS DOWN]
This is a tale of Muhammad bin Qasim.
DASTANGOI: Muhammad bin Qasim the most iconic personalities in Islamic history.
According to Hindustan, Muhammad bin Qasim is a marauder...
A tyrant, who because of his personal ambition
and religious doctrine attacked Hindustan,
massacred its people and used violence to spread Islam through the land.
But in Pakistan, countless people consider Muhammad bin Qasim
to be their community’s supreme leader...
And the Nation’s founder.
Muhammad Bin Qasim will unmistakably hold
utmost importance in Pakistan.
He was a warrior who conquered Sindh and made it an Islamic caliphate.
At the age of 17, he captured Sindh
by killing King Dahir...
And informed the world
that an Islamic warrior can go to any lengths to fulfill his duty.
The masters have taught us to take the sword
And use it for the revolution of our community...
Motherfucker, stop digging your nose so much. You're in Dubai.
If oil springs up, the Sheikhs will keep you here. Faggot.
AUDIENCE: Awesome!
And now a comical saga of the king of fruits - The Mango!
Its nectar is sweeter than the sweetest honey from the heavens.
The allure is so strong that even
a cripple could climb its way up a tree to taste it.
AUDIENCE: Awesome!
DASTANGOI: This fruit is the result of a lover's devotion.
[KNOCKS]
GAITONDE: Every story reaches a crossroads from where it could go anywhere
that junction had arrived in mine.
I had the remote control, not of the bomb but of my future.
If I killed Shahid Khan, I would live a happy life
but would become Miss Yadav's slave.
If I spared him, life would be like Guruji spoke about
sacrifice,
rebirth,
God.
[LOUD BLAST]
GAITONDE: In that moment I changed many destinies, Sardarji.
Shahid Khan's, yours,
and my city, Bombay's...
What happened?
Let’s go.
- Miss Yadav... - Let’s go.
GAITONDE: The next night, I uprooted myself from Kenya...
and from the crusty life I was living.
MUTHU: Harsha.
Harsha.
Let’s go.
Harsha,
our airplane is waiting for us.
Come.
Harsha!
[WHINING CRIES]
[AIRCRAFT ENGINE REVS]
[COFFEE GRINDING]
[IN ENGLISH] Mathur, can you stop it please?
- MATHUR: I was making coffee. - [IN ENGLISH] It’s irritating me a lot.
I think you should stop fixating about Gaitonde.
I don’t give a fuck about Gaitonde.
[CHAIR SQUEEKS]
[IN HINDI] I’ve been after Shahid Khan for the past 11 years.
Gaitonde’s my asset and I know how to keep him in-check.
[IN ENGLISH] You wait and watch.
- Ma’am, there is a call for you. - Thank you.
Hello?
[IN HINDI] Is this Jamila?
[IN ENGLISH] One second please.
Who's this?
You want Gaitonde off your back?
MUTHU: Brother,
Bunty’s sent something to cheer you up. It's in the bedroom.
[SNAPS FINGERS]
ZOYA: Surprise.
You don’t think of me these days. So I came myself.
Why did you come here?
- What do you mean? - Did you bring her here?
No... Bunty sent her.
Shut the fuck up.
Start packing. We have to leave tonight.
Miss Yadav gave you a call, right?
You told her the location of this place?
[WAVES SWASH]
[STEADY FOOTSTEPS]
We got to pack.
Pack?
If boss said we got to pack, then we got to pack.
[CREEPY FOOTSTEPS]
Reiko,
[IN ENGLISH] light off.
[ZOYA WHIMPERS] It was all Miss Yadav. I was scared.
His father’s a film producer and promised me a film.
I just did what everyone else does.
[SOBS]
Everyday I think you’ll send Bunty to kill me.
I’m sorry. I’ll speak to her.
She'll agree. Please don't be angry.
[MUFFLED] Don't be angry! Don't be angry!
[WHINING CRIES]
- [DOOR SLAMMED OPEN] - [LOUD GUNSHOTS]
[CONTINUOUS GUNSHOTS]
[GLASS BREAKING]
[GUNSHOTS]
GAITONDE: With my cover blown,
and no place to run.
I found myself stranded at sea once again
but this time...
I wasn't running anywhere.
I had killed the coward inside me.
GAITONDE: I'm not coming with you guys.
GAITONDE: My sacrifice earned me my new home,
with my third father.
It felt as though I was within the beating heart of a storm.
Enjoying tranquility, while it raged, on the outside.
[PHONE RINGS]
Yeah, Kamble, speak.
Sir, the truck has been found. It was carrying the goods.
But the license plate seems fake. No registration papers...
Send me a picture.
You’ve worked extensively on the Shahid Khan case.
He's an ISI spy.
He was involved with the ISI and in the 1993 blasts.
Did he have any links with Gaitonde?
They were both active at the same time.
He’s going to be attacking India.
Gaitonde let him go...
Why ma’am?
Please try to remember.
Nuclear fuel was brought from Malindi to Mandvi,
and then sent to Mumbai.
We found this truck.
Traces of radiation have been found on it. What is Shahid Khan’s plan?
We need a password to reach him.
Please help us ma'am. Please.
Shahid Khan was crazy about colonial history.
He would do everything according to that.
He came on Gabriel.
Jibril!
The King of Calicut refused.
Ma’am... Shahid Khan.
I told you, Vasco Da Gama came to India in 1498 to capture it.
There was a vendor
from Mandvi...
who dealt in indigo...
Kanji Maalam.
Gabriel...
Vasco Da Gama...
Maalam...
SARTAJ: The first attempt at capturing India...
Spain and Portugal divided up the world in two parts.
Both were obsessed with discovering and capturing India.
The Spanish headed west,
thinking they’ll come around to India.
The Portuguese lost their way.
But then they found a Gujarati trader on the Malindi port in Kenya.
Maalam, a resident of Mandvi.
And they reached here in 1498,
on a ship called Gabriel,
from Malindi, with Maalam.
Maalam.
Vasco Da Gama?
One second, one second...
[IN ENGLISH] We’ve exhausted all our chances.
[IN HINDI] We only have one try left.
Correct password.
[INTENSE MUSICE]
Sir, a number has come.